HomoQuotable - Peter Tatchell

"The proposed Irish civil partnership legislation is a big mistake and an insult to same-sex couples. It is a rejection of marriage equality. Separate laws for gay people are not equal laws. Civil partnerships will reinforce the ban on same-sex marriage and thereby reinforce discrimination. They will extend discrimination by denying heterosexual couples the right to have a civil partnership. This is not equality.

“Civil partnerships are not good enough. They are second best. Same-sex couples deserve the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Creating one law for gays and another for straights is a retrograde, divisive step. I urge the Irish government to not follow the flawed British system of civil partnerships. Let Ireland lead the way and outdo the Brits by giving full civil marriage rights to its lesbian and gay citizens. Equality has always been our goal. We should settle for nothing less.” - Noted British gay activist Peter Tatchell, speaking at a symposium of Ireland's LGBT organizations.

Ireland's parliament is about to vote on a civil partnerships law that would grant gay couples equal rights in areas such as taxes, social security, property rights, and pensions.